Project name: “Monitoring Program development for species and habitat types of EU interest” within the Operational Programme “Competitiveness and Cohesion” (OPCC) project “Development of Monitoring Systems for Species and Habitat Types” Lot 2: Development of a monitoring program for terrestrial flora and habitat types with capacity building of stakeholders in the monitoring and reporting system
Client: Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development
Period: 12/2021 – 10/2023
Location: Croatia
The project developed and tested Conservation status monitoring programs for 33 terrestrial plant species and 67 habitat types, stakeholders were educated in the Conservation status, monitoring and reporting in accordance with EU requirements, and based on the results of additional research on the reference status and testing of the monitoring program, conservation status assessments were made for the species and habitat types covered by the project, in accordance with Article 17 of the Habitats Directive. Project activities are divided into 6 work packages (WP):
- WP 0: A detailed work plan was created
- WP 1: Existing data on terrestrial flora and habitat types were collected and analyzed in relation to the level needed to define the reference (initial) values of the conservation status. Based on all the available data, a Gap Analysis was created, which described the gaps between the existing knowledge for terrestrial flora and habitat types in relation to the level of data required for determining reference (initial) values. The Gap Analysis identified species and habitat types for which it is necessary to conduct additional field research and collect additional data for the purpose of determining the reference (initial) state.
- An expert basis for each researched species and habitat types is prepared. With expert basis reference (initial) values for all the elements for the purpose of a Conservation status assessment for each species and habitat type are determined in accordance with reporting requirements to the EU under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive.
- WP 3: Proposals for the conservation status monitoring program for terrestrial flora and habitat types were developed, for 33 species of terrestrial flora and 67 habitat types. The conservation status monitoring program proposals describe the monitoring methodology, provide instructions for fieldwork, including the sampling plan and forms, and an exact description of the way to evaluate and assess data for individual species and habitat types in order to determine the elements of the Conservation status assessment.
- WP 4: Testing of all developed proposals for Conservation status assessment monitoring programs for terrestrial flora and habitat types. A testing plan for the monitoring program proposal was developed, which includes time-space dynamics and research effort. The report on the monitoring program testing proposal was made on the basis of the data collected through testing of the monitoring program and included an analysis of all data collected through field testing and additional data. An important result of this part of the project is the development of a Conservation status assessment for all 33 species of flora and 67 habitat types based on all available data and data collected through this project.
- WP 5: Refinement of the Conservation status monitoring program proposal for terrestrial flora and habitat types, with corrections in accordance with the test results, and creation of final Conservation status monitoring programs for 33 species of terrestrial flora and 67 habitat types.
- WP 6: Stakeholder education (monitoring and reporting system) for conservation status monitoring of terrestrial flora and habitat types. With the aim of strengthening the professional knowledge of all stakeholders of the monitoring system in the Republic of Croatia, 30 workshops were held in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, including a field demonstration of monitoring methods and data collection on flora species and habitat types.
